Tom P.O.V.
The first few hours of the party surprisingly went smoothly. Even though Maria was pissed, she didn't do anything stupid. I saw her moving among the people greeting them and talking. She was a good conversationalist and listener. She could hold a conversation with anyone, and her smile and kindness made people feel important. Every time I saw how easily one person could get along with another, I was shocked that our relationship was so bad. Of course, it was partly my fault. I often called her attention to my appearance or behavior, which she perceived as an attack. I wanted to be needed by her, so sometimes I was too strict and protective. It hurt me that she couldn't deal with me. On the surface she seemed like a problem-free person. Constantly smiling and confident. People w
